Pneumatic-despatcht-tube apparatus.



J. G. MACLAREN.

PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1908. RENEWED MAY 17, 1912.

Patented July 9, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

"OLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (IO-,WASHINGTON, n; c

JAMES G. MACLAREN, OF WEEHAWKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T LAMSON CON SOLI-DATED STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

PNEUMATIC-DESPATCH-TUBE APPARATUS.

Application filed May 14, 1908, Serial .No. 432,800. Renewed May 17,1912.

To all whom 2'25 may concern Be it known that I, JAMES G. MAOLAREN, oflVeehawken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Despatch-TubeApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic despatch tubeapparatus audits object is to provide means for controlling the bloweror pump connected with the transmission tube to permit the same to0perate unloaded when there are no carriers in transit and to load thesame by switching the current of air through the transmission tubes whencarriers are despatched for the purpose of transmitting the carriers totheir destination. Means are also provided for timing the communicationof the blower or pump with the transmission tube to the 1ntervalnecessary for the proper t-ransmlssion and delivery of the carriers.

In the accompanying drawings wh1ch illustrate a construction embodyingmy invention, Figure 1 is a diagrammaticwiew showing a circuit ofpneumatic transmission tubes connected with a constantly operatingblower or pump and showing the controlling mechanism in connectiontherewith and electric circuits for operating said control lingmechanism from the despat-ching stations; Fig. 2 is an enlargedsectional view showing the controlling mechanism in normal position withthe current of air short circuited permitting the blower to operateunloaded; Fig. 3 is a similar View to Fig. 2 showing the, position ofthe controlling mechanism when a carrier is in transit and about todeliver.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

1 is a tube for the transmission of carriers connecting the central orcashiers station C with the terminal 2 controlled by the, delivery valve3 at the sub or sales-station S.

5 is a'tube for the transmission of carriers from the sub-station S tothe central station 0 and connects the terminal 2 with the terminal 7controlled by the ordinary delivery valve 8 at the central station C.

9 is a conduit or air tube connecting the terminal 7 withthe blower 10driven at a constant speed by the electric motor 11 through a belt 12.

4 is the bell mouth or despatching inlet Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Serial No. 698,075.

for inserting carriers into the transmission tube 1 and 6 is the usualdespatching inlet for inserting carriers into the transmission tube 5.

1 3 is an air-inlet tube connecting the condult 9 with the chamber 15 ina casing 14; 16 and 17 are ports for the admission of air to the chamber15, and 18 and 19 are valves normally open and adapted to control theadmission of air through the said ports 16 and 17 respectively; thesevalves 18 and 19 are mounted on the stem 20 which is re clprocallymounted on the hangers 21; 22 1s a lever pivoted at its lower end at 23,its upper end being bifurcated at 24 and adapted to straddle the pin 25on stem 20 to operate valves 18 and 19.

53 is an armature secured to the lever 22 and adapted to be operated bythe magnet 52 which is in circuit with the battery B and a switch 54adapted to be operated by trip 55 when a carrier is inserted into thebell mouth 4.

The circuit is as follows: from battery B through the wire a, magnet 52,wire 6, switch 54 and wire 0 back to the battery B. A normally openswitch 56 is adapted to be operated by the despatching inlet 6 at thesub-station S and is in multiple circuit with said magnet 52 throughwires 6 and (Z.

34 is a diaphragm casing carrying mounted therein the diaphragm 35, thestem 42 connected with said diaphragm at its upper end and at its lowerend carrying the bridgepiece 43; the chamber 37 beneath said diaphragmis connected with the atmosphere through a passage 40 controlled by' thetiming valve 41; 38 is a passage connecting said chamber 37 with theatmosphere and 0011- trolled by the flap valve 39 to permit the quickexhaust of the air from said chamber 37 when the diaphragm 35 drops. Thechamber 36 above the diaphragm 35 is connected with chamber 15 throughpassages 31, 32 and 33.

49 is a valve mounted on the lever '47 pivoted at 48 and held normallyclosed by a spring 51; this valve 49 is adapted when opened to admit airto the passages 32 and 33; on the opposite of the lever 47 is anarmature 50 which is operated by magnet 46 to open said valve 49. Themagnet 46 is in circuit with battery B through wires 72. and c andthrough wire 9, contacts 45 and 44 and wires f and a.

27 is a diaphragm mounted in the casing 28 which diaphragm is open tothe atmos phere on one side and on the other side communicates withchamber 2 which is connected with the passage 33; 26 is a stem securedat one end of said diaphragm 27, the opposite end of said stem havingaslot 29 in which the pin 30 secured to the lever 22 is mounted. V

In the normal position of the apparatus, see Figs. 1 and 2, the blower10 is driven at a constant speed by the motor 11, and the air isadmitted to the blower through openings 16 and 17, chamber 14, tube 13and conduit 9, thereby permitting the blower to operate with practicallyno load. If a carrier is to be despatched from central station C to thesub-station S, the operator inserts the carrier into the bell mouth 4where it engages the trip 55 closing the switch 54 and energizing themagnet 52 through the circuits hereinbetore described. The armature 53is attracted by magnet 52 and acting through lever 22 and pin 25 movesvalves 18 and 19 to their seats closing the ports 16 and 17 and cuttingoii the admission of air through said ports; the flow of air is nowswitched through the bell mouth 4 and transmission tubes 1 and 5 to theconduit 9 and blower 10, the carrier being driven through tube 1 towardthe substation S. In the meantime, the carrier has passed the trip 55opening the switch 54 and deenergizing the magnet 52. The increasedvacuum in chamber 15 acts through passages 31, 32 and 33 and chamber 2to hold the diaphragm 27 in the position shown in Fig. 3 holding thevalves 18 and 19 closed against the atmospheric pressure.

The vacuum also acting through passages 31, 32 and 33, and chamber 36drawing the diaphragm 35 gradually upward due to the passage of airthrough the restricted opening 40 to chamber 37 beneath said diaphragm35, causes the bridge piece 43 when said diaphragm 35 has reached theposition shown in Fig. 3, to engage the contacts 44 and 45 completingthe circuit through and energizing the magnet 46. The armature 50 is nowattracted by said magnet and through lever 47 opens the valve 49 againstthe tension of spring 51 admitting air to the passages 32 33 andchambers 2 and 36. The diaphragm 27 is restored to normal position bymeans of the atmospheric pressure acting upon the valve 18 which is ofgreater area than valve 19 causing said valves to open to the positionshown in Fig. 2 short-circuiting the flow of air through chamber 15,tube 13 and conduit 9 to the blower 10 and relieving the load upon saidblower. In the meantime, the air entering through open valve 49-andpassages 32 and 33 to chamber 36, allows the diaphragm 35 and bridgepiece 43 to drop by gravity breaking the circuit through the magnet 46thereby releasing the armature 50 and permitting the spring 51 to closethe valve 49; by the time the valves 18 and 19 have been opened in themanner described, the carrier has de livered through valve 3 at thesub-station S. The adjustable timing screw 41 is adapted to be regulatedto time the interval during which the valves 18 and 19 are closed to theinterval necessary for the proper transmission and delivery of thecarrier.

In despatching a carrier from the substation S to central station C, theoperator opens the inlet 6 and inserts the carrier into tube 5; theopening of said inlet 6 closes the switch 56 energizing the magnet 52'and through armature 53 and lever 22 closes the valves 18 and 19 asheretofore described. The inlet 6 is now closed and the current of airentering through bell mouth 4 and tube 1, drives the carrier throughtube 5 tothe central station C. The closing of the inlet 6 opens theswitch 56 denergizing the mag net 52, the valves 18 and 19 being heldclosed by the diaphragm 27 until, by the time the vacuum in chamber 36has lifted, the diaphragm 35 and bridge piece 43 closing the circuitthrough magnet 46, the valve 49 is opened releasing the diaphragm 37 andpermitting the atmospheric pressure on '9 valve 18 to open the valves 18and 19, shortcircuit-ing the flow of air through the blower by the timethe carrier has arrived at the central station C.

Having thus described my invention and set forth a constructionembodying the same, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States is,-

1. In pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a tube for the transmission ofcarriers, a pump connected with said tube to exhaust the air from thesame, a casing provided with a chamber having an inlet for outside air,an air-conduit forming a communi- H cation between said chamber and theconnection of the pump with the transmission tube, a valve controllingthe inlet of said chamber, electric means energized by the insertion ofa carrier in the transmission tube for moving said valve to close saidinlet, pneumatic mechanism having an opening to the outside aircommunicating with said chamber and actuated by a decrease of pressuretherein to close the circuit of the electric means, a valve normallyclosing the opening to the outside air of the pneumatic mechanism, andelectric means energized by the closing of the circuit through the firstelectric means to actuate the last mentioned valve to open the pneumaticmechanism to the outside air.

2. In pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a tube for the transmission ofcarriers, a

pump connected with said tube to exhaust M.

air from the same, a casing provided with a chamber having an inlet foroutside air, an air-conduit forming a communication between said chamberand the connection of the pump with the transmission tube, a valvecontrolling the inlet of said chamber, electric means energized by theinsertion of a carrier in the transmission tube for moving said valve toclose said inlet, pneumatic mechanism having an opening to the outsideair communicating with said chamber and actuated by a decrease ofpressure therein to close the circuit of the electric means, a valvenormally closing the opening to the outside air of the pneumaticmechanism,

electric means energized by the closing of the circuit through the firstelectric means to actuate the last mentioned valve to open the pneumaticmechanism to the outside air, and means for timing the operation of thepneumatic mechanism.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this fifth day of May A. D. 1908.

JAMES G. MAOLAREN.

Witnesses:

ELSIE MACLAREN, LOUIS M. LANMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

